The park board earlier had requested a smoking ban, or at the very least, no smoking signs near children’s playground equipment in the city parks. Two different options were submitted to amend the city’s current smoking ordinance, but no one made a motion to prohibit smoking altogether.

Myers said the signs wouldn’t work with no ordinance to back it up.

Park board member Matt Vickers had been lobbying the board for the past three months to ban smoking within 20 feet of park playground equipment.

He said he was concerned small children could pick up a butt and eat it,

“Cigarette butts are toxic,” he said.

Vickers said smoking in playground areas would deter young families from moving to Pacific.

“Young families, like mine, we do not want to be around smokers with our children,” he said. “Banning smoking around children would be another way to add to what the city is trying to do to attract young families.”